Crayons



L. G. MOOJEN May 3, 1966 CRAYON S Filed Feb. 17, 1964 FIG.3.

FIG. 2.

FIGA.

United States Patent 3,249,092 CRAYONS Lindsay G. Mooien, Holly Cottage,Smithy Green, Woodley, (Iheshire, England Filed Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No.345,492. 2 Claims. (Cl. 120-13) This invention relates to crayons, oilpastels, chalks, pencils, paints and other similar writing, painting anddrawing materials, all hereinafter referred to simply as crayons for thesake of convenience.

These crayons are normally readily breakable and it is customary toenclose them in a protective sheath, conveniently a paper tube. The tubemay be torn back as the crayon is used or the crayon may be pushed outof the tube as required, but in the latter case means must be providedto prevent the crayon returning into the tube under writing pressure. MyBritish Patents Nos. 905,472 and 912,519 describe and claim various stopmeans embedded in the butt of the crayon with tongues which dig into thetube wall preventing return movement of the crayon. Such arrangementsfunction quite satisfactorily but owing to the configuration of the stopmeans they tend to impede the flow of wax during the direct casting ofthe crayon material into the tubes.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved crayon inwhich the stop means configuration reduces the obstruction to flow ofthe material into the tube.

According to the invention, there is provided a crayon which is slidablewithin a protective tube having embedded therein a continuous resilientstrip at least one of the free ends of which is adapted to dig into thewall of the tube to prevent the crayon receding under writing pressurebut allowing the crayon to be advanced as it is worn away, the stripalso being shaped such that substantially onlya single run of the stripextends across the bore of the tube.

The strip may be flattened or round and the strip preferably is U or Vshaped. The U- or V-shaped strip may have equal or unequal legs. As afurther alternative the strip may be L-shaped. It will be seen thatthese shapes have only one run which extends across the tube as far awayfrom the filling entrance to the tube as possible, consistent with thestrip size and the obstruction to the fiow of the molten wax duringdirect casting into the tubes is minimized. Additionally, the absence ofany re-entrant angles allows an inserting plunger to enter into theshape and to push the strip into the tube and to withdraw in te sameplane leaving the strip behind. There is the substantial additionaladvantage that once a strip is inserted into the tube its resilienceholds it in place and enables subsequent handling of the tube withoutspecial precautions.

Ernbodiments of the invention will now be described,

by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a part-sectional perspective view of a crayon, in accordancewith the invention,

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of alternative shaped strips.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a crayon comprising a paper tube 1enclosing and supporting a stick 2 of writing wax which is sharpened atthe writing end 3 and at the butt end 4 has embedded therein a U-shapedresilient strip 5 of metal, the ends 6 of which are cut at an angle andturned out so that they dig into the inside surface of the tube 1 whenpressure is applied to the stick 2 during writing. The ends 6 do not,however, prevent the stick from being advanced as the end 3 is wornaway.

FIGURE 2 shows a V-shaped strip and FIGURE 3 shows a U-shaped striphaving legs of unequal lengths. The shorter limb in FIGURE 3 may haveits free end turned out, if desired. As a further alternative asubstantialiy L-shaped strip, as shown in FIGURE 4 may be used, the limb8 being arranged to extend across the tube.

What is claimed is: V

1. A crayon comprising an elongated tube open at both ends, said tubecontaining crayon material providing a writing element projecting fromone end of said tube and terminating inwardly of the opposite end ofsaid tube, stop means for preventing movement of said element towardsaid opposite end and permitting movement of said element toward saidone end, said stop means comprising a resilient generally U-shaped stripembedded in the material of said element and with the ends of the legsof said strip disposed outwardly of the end of said element adjacentsaid opposite end of said tube, said strip being free of reentrantangles and having only a single bend therein between said ends of saidlegs to provide a connecting portion between said legs, each of saidends of said legs being inclined in a radial and axial direction towardsaid opposite end and engaging the inner surface of said tube, wherebysaid ends will penetrate said tube and prevent movement of said elementtoward said opposite end while permitting movement of said elementtoward said one end. v

2. A crayon as defined in claim 1 in which said single bend is in theform of a relatively sharp V.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,637,545 8/1927Bosworth -49 FOREIGN PATENTS 905,472 9/1962 Great Britain.

912,519 12/ 1962 Great Britain.

5 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Examiner.

1. A CRAYON COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBE OPEN AT BOTH ENDS, SAID TUBECONTAINING CRAYON MATERIAL PROVIDING A WRITING ELEMENT PROJECTING FROMONE END OF SAID TUBE AND TERMINATING INWARDLY OF THE OPPOSITE END OFSAID TUBE, STOP MEANS FOR PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT TOWARDSAID OPPOSITE END AND PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT TOWARD SAIDONE END, SAID STOP MEANS COMPRISING A RESILIENT GENERALLY U-SHAPED STRIPEMBEDDED IN THE MATERIAL OF SAID ELEMENT AND WITH THE ENDS OF THE LEGSOF SAID STRIP DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE END OF SAID ELEMENT ADJACENTSAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUBE, SAID STRIP BEING FREE OF REENTRANTANGLES AND HAVING ONLY A SINGLE BEND THEREIN BETWEEN SAID ENDS OF SAIDLEGS TO PROVIDE A CONNECTING PORTION BETWEEN SAID LEGS, EACH OF SAIDENDS OF SAID LEGS BEING INCLINED IN A RADIAL AND AXIAL DIRECTION TOWARDSAID OPPOSITE END AND ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE, WHEREBYSAID ENDS WILL PENETRATE SAID TUBE AND PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTTOWARD SAID OPPOSITE END WHILE PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENTTOWARD SAID ONE END.